This invention relates to medical fabrics, particularly fabric used to make surgical gowns, surgical scrub suits, sterilization wrappers (CSR wrap), cover gowns, isolation gowns, hamper bags, jump suit, work aprons, laboratory coats and the like. The fabric is especially suited as a barrier to prevent or control the spread of infectious microorganisms. The invention also includes processes for making a woven medical fabric.
There are currently two types of medical fabrics--disposable and reuseable. Disposable fabrics are typically constructed from nonwovens made from light weight synthetic fibers or synthetic fibers blended with natural fibers. Performance of disposable nonwoven fabrics in terms of liquid repellency and flame retardancy are quite acceptable. Reusable fabrics are woven and may be constructed from cotton or cotton/polyester blends of a high thread count to provide a physical barrier to prevent or reduce the spread of infectious materials and vectors. While reusable woven fabrics offer more comfort in terms of drapeability, breathability, transmission of heat and water vapor, stiffness, etc., and improved (reduced) cost per use, they lack the liquid repellency the market has come to expect on the basis of experience with the disposables, especially after repeated launderings and/or steam (autoclave) sterilizations.
This invention provides a woven, reusable, direct finished single layer medical fabric made of 100% polyester fiber. With a textured surface, a somewhat easier to handle fabric having more surface friction than the product described in our earlier application Ser. No. 07/164,197 filed Mar. 4, 1988. The fabric is well suited for applications in which the hydrostatic properties are not as important as in other applications, for example in instrument wrap or central supply wrap (CSR) as a component of a surgical drape for all but the area of the fenestration. As such, the fabric exhibits the desirable properties of both the nonwoven disposables and woven reusable fabrics. The fabric has very low lint or particle generation, is a barrier with improved alcohol repellency, improved soil and oil repellency, is a generally more robust. abrasion-resistant fabric, yet has a soft hand and antimicrobial properties, flame resistant, repellant to water, yet durably finished to be fully launderable and, if necessary, also autoclave sterilizable for numerous cycles. Procedures for finishing such fabric and finishing solutions for use in such procedures are also described.